The Heat Is On (Glenn Frey song)

1984 single by Glenn Frey

"The Heat Is On"

Single by Glenn Frey

from the album Beverly Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

B-side

"Shoot Out" by Harold Faltermeyer

Released

November 1984

Genre

Hard rock
pop rock

Length

3:45 (7-inch and album)
5:51 (12-inch)

Label

MCA

Songwriter(s)

Harold Faltermeyer
Keith Forsey

Producer(s)

Harold Faltermeyer
Keith Forsey

Glenn Frey singles chronology

"Sexy Girl"
(1984)

"The Heat Is On"
(1984)

"Smuggler's Blues"
(1984)

Official video

"The Heat Is On" (From Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack) on YouTube

"The Heat Is On" is a song written by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey, and recorded by Glenn Frey for the American film Beverly Hills Cop (1984). The song was published as a single and as the sixth track of the album Beverly Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1984).

History

According to Frey, he was invited to an early screening of the film, and about two months later was sent a demo of a song written by Keith Forsey and Harold Faltermeyer to be used in the film to see if he was interested in singing the song. Frey agreed, and recorded the vocal part in one day. The following day he played the guitar and recorded the background vocals, and was paid $15,000 for the work.^[1]

The mid-to-up-tempo recording featured a steady drumbeat, synthesizer, and guitar, with a repeated saxophone riff framing the lyrical message. The guitar solo is played by Frey himself.^[2]

Cash Box called it "a hard rocking outing featuring the distinctive vocals of ex-Eagle Frey" and added that it contains "a signature horn riff and some effective dynamics."^[3] Billboard said it "features a bustling rock 'n' roll beat, electric organ (or equivalent) and a wailing sax."^[4]

The song became a major hit single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1985, behind "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon.^[5] It was also popular internationally, reaching No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1985 and gaining peaks of No. 8 on the Canadian Singles Chart and No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart.^[6] In the United States, it is the highest charting solo single by any member of the Eagles.

The music video for the song received heavy MTV airplay. It showed a film editor assembling scenes for Beverly Hills Cop while Frey and a band played the song in the adjacent room, with action scenes from the movie then directly interspersed. Among the musicians shown in the video is saxophone player Beverly Dahlke-Smith (the actual recording being made by session horn player David Woodford^[7]) and Frey's long-time drummer, Michael Huey.

The recording subsequently appeared on Frey's albums Glenn Frey Live (1993) and Solo Collection (1995) as well as on some various-artists "top hits" collections.

The St. Louis Cardinals did a remix of this song when they went to the World Series in 1985 to face the Kansas City Royals.^[8]

Track listing

7" single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Heat Is On"	Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer	3:45
2.	"Shoot Out"	Harold Faltermeyer	2:44
Total length:			06:29

12" single
No.	Title	Remixer	Length
1.	"The Heat Is On (extended version)"		6:04
2.	"The Heat Is On (dance version)"	Brian Reeves	5:40
3.	"The Heat Is On (dub version)"	Brian Reeves	2:39
Total length:			14:23

Personnel

Glenn Frey – lead and backing vocals, guitar solo
Harold Faltermeyer – keyboards, bass
Richie Zito – guitars
Keith Forsey – drums, backing vocals
David Woodford – saxophone

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart (1984-1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[9]	2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[10]	27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[11]	27
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[12]	8
France (SNEP)^[13]	47
Ireland (IRMA)^[14]	6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[15]	19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[16]	22
Norway (VG-lista)^[17]	2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[18]	5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[19]	5
UK Singles (OCC)^[20]	12
US Billboard Hot 100^[21]	2
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[22]	4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[23]	36
West Germany (Official German Charts)^[24]	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[25]^[26]	22
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[27]	65
US Billboard Hot 100^[28]	19

References

^ Tavis Smiley - View transcript. "Glenn Frey Tribute – Part 1". PBS. Archived from the original on 2017-07-23.
^ "30 killer pop guitar solos". Musicradar.com. June 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 8, 1984. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
^ "Reviews". Billboard. December 8, 1984. p. 62. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 244.
^ Official Charts Company info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
^ "saxophonejournal".
^ "Glenn Frey - The Heat is On - Cardinals Remix". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0497." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On" (in French). Les classement single.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Heat Is On". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On". Top 40 Singles.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On". VG-lista.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On". Singles Top 100.
^ "Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On". Swiss Singles Chart.
^ "Glenn Frey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ "Glenn Frey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Glenn Frey Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
^ "Glenn Frey Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
^ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Imgur.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. 28 December 1985. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
^ "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-21.

External links

"The Heat Is On" at Discogs

Glenn Frey

Studio albums

No Fun Aloud
The Allnighter
Soul Searchin'
Strange Weather
After Hours

Live albums

Glenn Frey Live

Compilations

Solo Collection

Singles

"The One You Love"
"Sexy Girl"
"The Heat Is On"
"Smuggler's Blues"
"You Belong to the City"
"True Love"
"Soul Searchin'"
"Livin' Right"

Eagles

v t e Beverly Hills Cop
Films	Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Characters	Axel Foley
Music	Beverly Hills Cop "Axel F" "The Heat Is On" "Neutron Dance" "New Attitude" "Stir It Up" Beverly Hills Cop II "Cross My Broken Heart" "I Want Your Sex" "Shakedown" Beverly Hills Cop III "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z" "The Right Kinda Lover"
Video games	1990 video game 2006 video game
Category

v t e Miami Heat
Founded in 1988 Based in Miami, Florida
Franchise	History All-time roster Draft history 1988 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season
Arenas	Miami Arena Kaseya Center
Personnel	Owner(s) Micky Arison President Pat Riley General manager Andy Elisburg Head coach Erik Spoelstra
G League affiliate	Sioux Falls Skyforce
Retired numbers	1 3 10 23 32 33 40
NBA championships	2006 2012 2013
Rivalries	Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers New York Knicks Orlando Magic
Culture and lore	Broadcasters Micky Arison Pat Riley Michael Baiamonte Burnie "Bring Em Out" "The Heat Is On" The Calhoun Shot Shaq–Kobe feud The Decision The Big Three 27 in a row The Shot Big Face Coffee
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